Georgia may not be one of the first countries one thinks of when planning a trip to Europe, but this former Soviet country, located between Western Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Black Sea has more to offer than you would think.

But if you’re already planning a trip to Georgia, you probably already know that. What you may not know is that for citizens of several countries, obtaining a visa for Georgia is either not necessary or can be done entirely online.

This article will detail the Georgia visa policy, including the Georgia eVisa, what the requirements and fees are, and other frequently asked questions.

Who Needs a Georgia Visa?

You need a Georgia visa unless you are from one of the visa-exempt countries below. The Georgian government allows citizens of the following countries to enter Georgia for tourism, work, studying and any other purpose for up to one year (unless otherwise specified) without having to obtain either a visa or a residence permit:

Any European Union country*

Albania

Andorra

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bahrain

Barbados

Belarus

Belize

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Botswana

Brazil

Brunei

Canada

Chile (up to 90 days in a 180-day period)

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Honduras

Iceland

Iran (only up to 45 days)

Israel

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Liechtenstein

Malaysia

Mauritius

Mexico

Moldova

Monaco

Montenegro

New Zealand

Norway

Oman

Panama

Qatar

Russia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

San Marino

Saudi Arabia*

Serbia

Seychelles

Singapore

South Africa

South Korea

Switzerland

Tajikistan

Thailand

Turkey*

Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

Ukraine

The United Kingdom British Overseas Territories **

United States

Uruguay (only up to 90 days)

Uzbekistan

Vatican City

*Citizens of the EU, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia may enter with simply their ID.

You are a member of the Georgia diaspora but have a passport issued by a country who is subject to Georgia visas. You may stay visa-free for up to 30 days.

You have a diplomatic or official/service passport issued by China, Egypt, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran and Peru.

You have a United Nations laissez-passer (up to one year)

What Are the Types of Georgia Visas that I Can Apply for?

The Georgia government issues the following types of visa to foreign nationals:

Category A (Georgia Diplomatic Visa).

Category B (Georgia Special Visa).

Category C (Ordinary Georgia Visa).

Category D (Georgia Immigration Visa).

Category T (Georgia Transit Visa).

Georgia Diplomatic Visa

This type of Georgia visa, as the name suggests, is issued to foreign diplomats who are visiting Georgia for diplomatic and official reasons. The family members of the main visa holder are also included.

Georgia Special Visa

This type of Georgia visa is issued to:

Service passport holders and members of foreign delegations visiting Georgia for work and to their family members.

Consular workers, administrative, technical and service staff of foreign diplomatic missions, and international and humanitarian organizations located in Georgia.

Members of military/peacekeeping forces and international bilateral/multilateral treaties of Georgia

Members of missions of benefit to Georgia

Ordinary Georgia Visa

The Category C visa is the type of Georgia visa you need if you are travelling for tourism or other short-term purposes (not included in the categories above). Ordinary Georgia Visas are then further divided into:

Georgia Tourist Visa (Georgia C1 Visa) Requirements

If you are travelling to Georgia for tourism (ie. on a Georgia C1 Visa), in addition to the standard set of documents listed above, you need:

Proof of accommodation shown in the form of:

Hotel reservation

Rental agreements

If you are staying with a friend/relative: A notarized Letter of Invitation from the person inviting you. You can download the Invitation Form from the website of the Georgia Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you are travelling with a travel agency or organized group: Include the trip itinerary or agenda

Georgia Business Visa (Georgia C3 Visa) Requirements

If you apply for a Georgia C3 Visa (Business Visa), the additional documents you need are:

Notarized Letter of Invitation or Invitation Form from the company that you will visit or conduct business with while in Georgia. You can download the Invitation Form from the website of the Georgia Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If applicable: Sufficient financial means can be shown through proof of sponsorship or proof your employer will cover your expenses.

Letter from your employer confirming your employment, and that you are undertaking the trip for business purposes.

Georgia Work Visa Requirements

If you are travelling to Georgia because you have found a job, and will be employed there, you also need the following documents, in addition to the standard ones:

The employment contract, stating the duration and nature of your employment and the salary you will receive.

Proof of academic certificates or other qualifications

Georgia Student Visa Requirements

If you have been accepted into a Georgia educational institution, when you apply for the Georgia Student Visa, you will also need the following:

Letter of enrollment in the authorized education institution in Georgia

Proof of financial means, such as through:

Bank statements from the past 6 months

Proof you have obtained a scholarship

Proof of sponsorship

Proof you have paid the tuition fee

Proof of previous academic qualifications

Family Visa Requirements

When you apply for a Georgia Family Visa, the additional documents you need include:

Documents proving family relationship, such as:

A marriage certificate for spouses

Birth certificate for parent-child relationship

Proof of the sponsor’s legal status in Georgia, such as their ID Card or Residence Card

Note:

This is not an exhaustive list of the required documents. The embassy or consulate in which you apply may ask for additional documents as they see fit.

The documents you submit have to be translated either in Georgian or English, and both the translation and original have to be submitted.

Several of your documents may have to be legalized through an Apostille Stamp or at the Georgian embassy or consulate or notarized, or both.

How to Apply for a Georgia Visa?

You have to apply for a Georgia visa at a Georgian diplomatic mission in your country or in a neighbouring country, unless you are eligible for the Georgia eVisa (see below). The application process for a Georgia visa is as follows:

Submit an online application. First, you have to submit an electronic application through the E-Application System, so as to make your appointment for the submission of documents at an embassy or consulate. (Submit the electronic application here.)

You also have to upload a picture (size: 5 mm length x 4 mm width, resolution: 300 DPI). Make sure the picture follows the exact requirements described below, or the program will not allow you to upload it.

Gather the required documents. After you submit the Georgia visa online application, you must gather the required documents which support your visa application (see Georgia visa requirements below).

Pay the Georgia visa fee.

Submit the documents at a Georgian diplomatic mission. After you pay the visa fee and have gathered the documents, you must submit them in person or by mail at a Georgian diplomatic mission. You choose which diplomatic mission you will apply in from the E-Application System.

Once your visa is processed, the Georgia consular/embassy staff will affix the visa on your passport. They will either mail the passport back to you, or you have to go pick it up yourself.

You can use your visa to enter Georgia for the number of days that is indicated.

Georgia Visa fees

The Georgia visa fee is €20. You have to make the payment at the bank account of the Georgia consulate or embassy in which you will submit your documents. Find out where to submit the visa fee payment here.

You may also have to pay a 2% service fee, depending on the consulate/embassy, as well as the bank service fee.

Georgia Visa Processing Time

The processing time for a Georgia visa depends on the type of visa you are applying for:

A short-term visa is processed within 10 calendar days

A long-term visa is processed within 30 calendar days

A D5 immigration visa is processed within 10 calendar days

An e-VISA is processed within 5 calendar days

Who is eligible for the Georgia eVisa?

Nationals of the following countries are eligible for the Georgia eVisa:

Up to 90 days with a 180-day period (multiple entries)

Bolivia

Cuba

Dominica

East Timor

Grenada

Guatemala

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

North Macedonia

Palau

Paraguay

Peru

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Samoa

Solomon Islands

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Up to 30 days within a 120-day period (multiple entries)

Angola

Benin

Bhutan

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cambodia

Cape Verde

The Central African Republic

China

Comoros

Djibouti

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Fiji

Guinea-Bissau

Guyana

Haiti

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Jamaica

Laos

Lesotho

Macau

Madagascar

Malawi

Maldives

Mongolia

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

North Korea

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Togo

Vietnam

Zambia

Zimbabwe

If you are eligible for a Georgia eVisa, you do not have to apply in person at a diplomatic mission at all. The entire process takes place online.

How to apply for the Georgia eVisa?

You have to apply for the Georgia eVisa through the eVisa Portal from anywhere in the world. The application process is as follows:

Complete the online application

Attach electronic files of the following documents

Your passport

Proof of accommodation in Georgia

Your travel and health insurance

Proof of sufficient financial means (such as bank statements)

Any other documents related to your purpose of travel

Make the eVisa fee payment ($20) through your debit or credit card

Wait for the visa to be processed. The processing time for an eVisa is five calendar days.

If your visa is approved, you will receive an electronic version of the visa, which you have to print.

You can travel to Georgia with the printed Georgia eVisa form and the physical copies of all the required documents.

Remember: The eVisa for Georgia is only for short-term stays (up to 30 or 90 days, depending on the country.) If you want to stay longer than the eVisa allows, you have to apply the regular way at a Georgian embassy or consulate for an Immigration Visa (Category D) and then apply for a Residence Permit once you arrive in Georgia.

What is the Duration of a Georgia Visa?

If you receive a single-entry Georgia visa, you can only stay in the country for up to 30 days. The multiple-entry Georgia visa, on the other hand, is valid for up to five years, allowing the holder to remain in the country up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

If you want to stay in Georgia long-term, after you enter Georgia with an Immigration Visa, you have to apply for a Georgia Residence Permit and later a Residence Card from the Georgia Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Public Service Hall of the Georgian Ministry of Justice.

Can you Extend a Georgia Visa?

According to the Georgia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you can only apply to extend a Special and Diplomatic Visa (A and B Categories), as well as the Georgia Student Visa (D3) or the Georgia Investor Visa (D5).

To extend a Special and Diplomatic Visa, you must apply at the Ministry of Foreign affairs in Georgia, whereas the Student and Investor Visas can also be extended at the Public Service Hall of the Georgian Ministry of Justice.

Georgia Residence Permits

Foreigners who enter Georgia with an Immigration Visa have to apply for a Residence Permit from the Georgia Ministry of Foreign Affairs or the Public Service Hall of the Georgian Ministry of Justice. Residence Permits for Georgia are usually issued for a period of one year and can be renewed annually.

Within one month of receiving your Residence Permit, you have to apply for a Residence Card at a local office of the Public Service development agency or Public Service Hall.